“If you love someone you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him.”

1 Corinthians 13: 7

Pink sings a song about showing a little more love. She cries for her lover to open up just a little more and show her that love exists. As the world becomes crazier, colder, and spinning out of control, we are all looking for something to stand upon that is rock solid. Wouldn’t you agree that love is something that moves people and their hearts? We are made social beings that need God and people. Real love is the glue that keeps it from all flying apart.

We have finally reached the pinnacle of the word love. It really is an experience that is far beyond what we see on Earth. We all want to be unconditionally loved just as we are. That would be a perfect relationship, right? Sadly, because of our human condition we can’t generate this brand of love. Agape, unconditional love from the original Greek, is something only God posses.

I have personally found that God is crazy. What I mean is that His love for us is just waiting to turn our lives inside out. Okay, here is an example. I do something kind and loving for my wife or family. I get great joy in seeing them happy and that is already a great thing. God jumps in and blesses me for it. Is it just me but isn’t that a bit more than expected? Jesus love in its natural, supernatural state, overwhelms us in every way. Just a few days ago I had an experience that brought this all home. We were sitting down to a simple dinner that we washed down with bottled water. That was until a friend showed up with something unexpected. He had brought water that had really been purified right from the source. You have never heard that many people so excited about a simple glass of water. My daughter was rolling her eyes and said she would never drink plastic bottled water again.

That is what happens when you taste the Love of God. The other words for love have lost their flavor. When you line up mania with agape love it seems so selfish and obsessive. The fire of eros burns brightly but it’s only a flicker in comparison. What is the glue of phileo? How do moms and dads find the strength to love when their children are unlovable? Like real water, agape is the well that all forms of love call their source. God is agape and agape is God. So when I open myself up to this love I am opening a door to something I cannot generate. All the things that make a person able to truly an overcoming life come from the source itself. If there ever was a time we needed to be closer to God it is now.

It almost feels like the center of life is removed and it’s all spinning out of control. I bet that is why many of us who profess to be believers are struggling. Our motives, actions, emotions, mental and spiritual state feels unsettled. Could it be that the Lord is gently removing our dependence on our own strength? Human love and compassion is many times generated from an inferior fallen human state. The love of most will grow cold, is one of the last things to happen before the End Times truly fall upon the Earth. We have a choice to let go of what we have for God’s agape love, or we can cling on to our own goodness and energies.

I pray you hold on to Love as we round the corner in this marathon of live. May you have what it takes because you are running on a strength not your own. Drink deep from the deep source, only God provides. Hydrate your soul, mind and body. Run and finish well!

“If you love someone you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost.”

1 Corinthians 13: 7

Momma always said treat others

The way you want to be treated.

Be a friend, a true companion

Love fully to the end,

Give generously again and again.

Oh, and don’t forget…

Always wear clean underwear

In case you are ever in an accident.

That is Mom for you. She is the embodiment of home. In her we see the fourth kind of love, brought to you in the original Greek, called storgy. When I think of that word, I wonder if that is where we get the image of the stork delivering the baby. That is how I connect the two.

Storgy is the word that most closely mirrors the highest expression of God’s unconditional love. Being in second to that is not too shabby. I think about what extents my own mom went to keeping house for six little kiddos. I often wondered how in the world we had three good meals a day when times were so tough. I found out years later, the reason Mom was so skinny was that she didn’t really eat. She made sure the growing children got fed.

If I asked you about the love your mother showed you I bet we have similar stories. I hope she made your house a home as well. I know that is why the war of love hits home. Our enemy knows how powerful home is and how it gives a foundation to build real life on. Moms and dads are the first glimpse that children have of God’s love on earth. So it’s no surprise that the family is one of the prime targets for those who loath God’s love.

Even though we have put mom up on a pedestal in this blog, she is one half of a unique team. Home needs dads too. While Mom makes a house a home, dads are the keepers of the gates and the defenders of the home. When both parents are on the same page and wear the same team uniform, by the grace of God, they are a force to be reckoned with.

Remember the body of Christ is a family too. The church is made up of families that are more that the sum of their parts. We need that storgy love to shine out in the dark times we are in. How can you guard your family in this war? What can you ask the Lord to do in order for your house to be a home where He can reside?

“(Love) is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out.”

1 Corinthians 13: 6

“Love you, brother.”

“Love you too, man. I will talk to you later.”

“Later.”

We need this kind of love in our communities, churches, and government. It is so important that the city of Philadelphia was named after it. Phileo is the third word for love that we have been investigating. It is the foundation for any good society. How we treat our fellow man reflects a love that can turn the course of a nation. That is why America existed to give people worth and value. That is a very life-changing kind of compassion.

Now ladies, this covers both sexes. This is what a community is all about. Is shows caring about those around us, being a good neighbor, or even just a smile to a stranger. These are things that are easy to take for granted especially as life gets busier. Like a single flame in a dark place those simple acts of human kindness do shine out.

I wanted to talk about how sorely lacking this kind of brotherly love is today. However, just like the seasons change something has been stirring. There is a movement of community going on. I pray that this is the Lord at work in everyday people to see this love restored.

If I may, I wanted not just to tell you about it but personally show it to you. I have been blessed to be a part of a few outreaches designed to build community and ultimately lead people to the Lord. These three examples all come from needs that cried out to be filled.

About ten years ago four Christian brothers decided to go on a hike in Idyllwild, CA. During that afternoon along a wooded trail a dream was born. Why not get people outside among God’s glorious creation? We could plan activities for families to spend time together building memories and spending time together. Creation Tours was realized. Since that time it has changed hands and is now Creation Treks. We have now included multiple sporting activities such as biking, (road and mountain) kayaking, fishing, running, and of course hiking. Check us out on Facebook.

A few years ago I was privileged to be a part of a mentor program at my school. I am a high school teacher and work with many struggling students. One of the biggest needs they have is guidance and connecting with positive role models. We began a program called B3which stands for Building Better Brothers. We are still constructing our program but we hope to match small groups of students with mentors and help them build brotherhood with their peers.

Finally, I was asked to be a part of a family community group. It is so new it does not even have a name yet. The idea was to not just have Bible Study and fellowship for men or women but for the whole family. It will provide a chance for families to spend time with each other. They eat, pray, worship, study, and have fun together. We are only in our third week but it has already been a blessing to get together in a regular basis.

Phileo is alive and well. However, it needs a resurgence. Maybe God is showing you how to build a community group where you live or work. We were made social beings like God Himself. No man is an island, as a famous author once penned. We need each other especially on those days when no one understands you.

I challenge you to love and be loved in a brotherly or sisterly way. Find how you can start a group or plug into one where you can share life with others. It is one step closer to that agape love of God. You may be the only example of Christ that people will see. So why don’t you open that door and see what is on the other side?